Data protection and Legal Mentions

Privacy Policy and Legal Information

Property and Responsibility

This site is the property of the European Science Foundation (ESF). Unauthorized reproduction of any material or content is prohibited. Reproduction or use of the ESF web design are forbidden. If you wish to make a request to reproduce material please send an e-mail to the ESF webmaster.

A number of the pages in this site include links to external web sites. These links are included to give users the opportunity to explore an issue in greater depth. However, the ESF is not responsible for the content of these Internet sites. The inclusion of links does not imply endorsement or agreement with views expressed on outside webpages.

The information provided on this website is not contractual and is for general information purposes only. The information is provided in good faith, on a best efforts basis, and while we try to keep the information timely and accurate, we will not be responsible for any omissions, oversights, or errors. We will not be liable for loss or damage arising in connection with the use of this website or any of the websites to which this website provides links. Users of this website and of the information it contains recognize that any use made of any information or materials contained in this website is done under the user’s full and sole responsibility. The European Science Foundation will not be responsible for any prejudice or damages of any type, direct or indirect, resulting in part or in entirety, from the use of information found on this website.

Any dispute arising from use of this website is subject to the laws of France.

Privacy

The European Science Foundation may change this policy in compliance with the CNIL by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 01/09/2016.

What we collect

On certain parts of the website, we may ask you to provide information about yourself in order to allow us to contact you, or to provide services you request. This information could include the following items:

Name

Job title and employer

Contact information including email address and postcode

Information about your scientific expertise

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

To keep internal records

To reply to a contact email

We may periodically send promotional emails or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.

We never provide any information to third parties for commercial use.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to user needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system. We also use a session cookie on our ESF archive webpage so that popups informing users that the site is an archive only appear once per visit to the domain.

A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website, however. Below you will find instructions for blocking cookies (updated in September 2016):

Firefox: Click on the menu button on the top right. Select options, then click on privacy at the left of the page. In the “history” section, select « Firefox will use custom settings for history. » Uncheck the “accept cookies from sites” box.

Internet Explorer: Click on the gear wheel at the top right. Click on the Privacy tab, click on advanced, override automatic cookie handling if necessary, and choose “block” for the types of cookies you would like to block.

Google Chrome: on the top right, click on the menu. Click on settings, and then Show Advanced Settings. In the Privacy section, click Content Settings. Use the cookies section to change your settings, clicking on the options you prefer for different types of cookies.

Safari: Choose Preferences, click privacy, then choose the options that you prefer.

Data Protection

In accordance with European directives and with French Law No. 78-17 of January 1978 on information processing, electronic files and civil liberties, the web site and database of the European Science Foundation (ESF) have been declared at the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), which is the independent French administrative authority protecting privacy and personal data. Within this framework all persons registered in the database have a right to access and update the personal information about them and to ask for such information to be modified or deleted by contacting database (at) esf.org.

ESF Direct Activities

Direct access to the information stored in our database is restricted to members of ESF and staff working in our offices in Strasbourg. The data will, under no circumstances, be passed on to third parties for commercial purposes.

The database is used as an address book for ESF staff and is also used as a tool for the management of our activities. In this framework we record information on the following:

ESF and Membership

ESF meeting participants

Review Procedures including information on (potential) referees

The information we collect is also used to compile statistics for our Member Organisations and, where relevant, for other organisations who provide funding to ESF.

Where ESF contracts an independent body to carry out a study on its behalf, the ESF Secretariat may provide scientific and financial data on its activities, which may include the names and contact details of persons involved in the activities. In such cases, however, the organisation carrying out the study undertakes, in writing, to treat all data they receive from ESF in confidence and to use it only for the purposes of the study for which they have been contracted.

Evaluation

Our Member Organisations and other national, European or international organisations may ask us to help them identify persons to help them with a particular project such as the evaluation of scientific projects at a national level, the evaluation of the functioning of an institute, or other types of scientific evaluations. In such cases we may provide them with names and addresses of persons within certain fields of scientific expertise. The provision of such information is not systematic and is agreed on a case by case basis.

Where relevant, certain categories of information may be given to the European Commission.

Peer Review Services

In the frame of this activity, the data referring to applicants, institutions, proposals and assessments collected is considered confidential. The data will only be shared with the institutions/establishments or organisations which delegate this particular task to us or with whom a contract has been signed and with the experts (external reviewers and review panel members) nominated for the assessment of the proposals.

In order to promote transparency, ESF may publish the aggregate list of reviewers involved in assessment processes under ESF umbrella, unassigned to applications or specific process. The list, containing only names and short affiliations, may be published on the ESF web site after completion of all assessment processes in a given year.

Individual remote assessments may be copied in anonymous form for evaluation and selection purposes to the Disciplinary Panel(s) set up by ESF for an exercise and may also, always in anonymous form, be used as feedback to applicants.

* Please note that we are not responsible for the data which is put on external ESF activity web sites.

# Reviewers are systematically informed that the information contained in the application/proposal/report, including the personal data of the persons involved, should not be used for any purpose other than the assessment/evaluation.